Catherine Owens

Why Should I Use a Realtor—Instead of Doing a “For Sale by Owner?”

When you’re ready to sell your home, it can be tempting to save a few dollars by selling the home yourself.

But does a “For Sale by Owner” (or “FSBO”) really pay off? It can—but not unless you have the skills, know-how, and expertise to conduct the entire home sale smoothly and without errors.

Think about it. A single mistake during closing—or a home that languishes for 2-3 months longer on the market—can be very expensive indeed. A good real estate agent makes the whole process easier by:

Scheduling your showings.

That includes handling all cancellations, reschedules, and no-shows—saving you time and hassle. It’s also a safe, secure way for to people see your home, hearing the highlights from a professional salesperson who understands the features that buyers love.

Giving your home the widest possible market exposure.

You want to show your property to as many buyers as possible, as quickly as possible. You can certainly do this yourself—printing flyers, yard signs, info boxes, and buying newspaper ads—but a real estate agent can give you better exposure. For example, when you hire a ReeceNichols agent, your house will be advertised regionally and nationally through our network of agents, ReeceNichols.com, the #1 real estate brokerage website in the Kansas City region, and our Home Search app. ReeceNichols agents can even start marketing your home sooner by sharing it with our 30,000 actively registered Home Match users who work exclusively with ReeceNichols agents.

Pricing your home correctly.

Realtors can quickly and accurately research sales of comparable homes in your neighborhood by doing a detailed Comparative Market Analysis. It's not just knowing your numbers, it's knowing the market too. Our agents' expertise in both ensure that your home is priced to sell quickly—for top market dollar. They can also recommend low-cost renovations that could bring you a higher price.

Negotiating the closing.

Keep in mind that closing a home is a major legal and financial transaction. For many people, it’s the biggest financial transaction of their lives. Unless you have a lot of experience in real estate, or negotiating major financial transactions, the few hundred dollars you’ll save may not be worth the risk of a costly legal mistake.

Dedicating the time.

Make sure to allocate the time—including 50-100 hours over a 2-3 month period—to list, market, and sell your home. It takes hours and hours to prepare the documents, work with the financial institutions, show the home, negotiate with the buyer, and finalize the title. While all of these services are typically completed by a realtor, you’ll be doing these activities yourself when listing For Sale By Owner.